Page 43 of Hate the Game (Playing Dirty #1)

***Jax***

“Man. Your dad needs to get laid or something. My thighs are on fire.” Cole slammed his locker shut and leaned back against it. “Is there something going on with him? I swear to God he hates us these days.”

I worked my stiff shoulders back and forth and sighed. “I don’t fucking know. I barely see him outside of practice and games.”

I could hear more of the guys grumbling about how hard he’d worked us and bit back my frustration. It was a painful spot to be in, stuck in the middle of the team and my father. I agreed with them. Dad had been an asshole. He was still my dad, though.

“Speaking of getting laid…” Danny came over and leaned against the locker next to Ryder. “What’s the deal with Savannah? I was thinking of asking her out. There was some talk about one of you hitting that, though. Any conflict?”

My jaw clicked with the force of my anger. My teeth ground together painfully but I didn’t have to say a thing for Danny to get the point. It was Cole who jumped into action to shut Danny down first.

He pinned Danny to the locker with his elbow in his chest. “Stay away.”

Danny snorted and pushed Cole away. “Jesus. You just had to say so, Cole. Seems like you’re on the same shit as Coach. You both need to get laid and fucking relax.”

Ryder caught Danny’s shirt as he moved to leave. “Let anyone asking know that she’s off-limits.”

I slammed my locker shut and shoved my hands through my wet hair.

I was confused about what was happening and I didn’t like being confused.

I jerked my head for Ryder and Cole to follow me as I made my way out of the locker room.

I was so amped up that I didn’t make it very far before I turned on them with a scowl on my face. “What the fuck is going on?”

Cole faced Ryder with the same scowl. “I’m wondering the same thing.”

Ryder folded his arms over his chest and stared back at us with the same dark expression on his face as always. He also felt it as necessary to talk as he always did. Which was not at all.

“I know the score. I know why she’s here but she’s spent the most time with me and I feel like it makes more sense if the team thinks I’m with her.” Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a little more obvious that she wants me.”

I snorted without meaning to. Both Ryder and Cole look surprised at the sound. “I think it’s more obvious that she wants me.”

“Yeah, right. She’s been seen all over campus with me.” Cole turned on Ryder. “And I suppose you think she wants you more than anyone else, too?”

He shrugged a massive shoulder. “You said it.”

I tugged at my hair and growled. “Let’s be serious. If either of you had witnessed the way she… If you saw how she looked at me, you’d know that it wouldn’t make sense for people to believe she wanted either of you.”

“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, man.” Cole laughed and then smirked when he saw the way the sound irked me. “She’s crazy about me. We’ve had some intense moments.”

Ryder’s arms dropped to his sides and I noticed his fists clench. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Cass popped up from where she’d been sitting on the bench across from the locker room. None of us had even noticed her there. A wave of embarrassment hit me at being caught arguing over the woman who’d come to get us canceled.

“Are you three seriously fucking arguing over who gets to claim her? Over who she wants more? Have you forgotten why she’s here?

” She threw her hands up. “Idiots. All of you. I hope you’re proud of yourselves.

You’re fighting over a woman you know wants to take you down.

Honestly, I don’t even know why I fucking try. ”

I winced as she stormed off. “Shit.”

Cole groaned and scrubbed his hands down his face. “I’ll go talk to her. Make it clear that we haven’t forgotten the plan.”

Ryder motioned for him to go. “Better you chase after a woman who wants you, anyway.”

The burn was so unexpected from Ryder that I laughed. Cole even grinned before his face turned grim. “She doesn’t want me like that, Ry.”

Before any of us could go anywhere there was a rumble from the locker room and then Dad’s voice boomed through the door like he was shouting right next to us.

“Jax Carrington! Get back in here right now!”

I closed my eyes and bit my tongue. Whatever he had to say, I could handle it. Even if I felt like strangling him.

Cole slapped me on the shoulder. “We have your back.”

The three of us moved back into the locker room and I took a deep breath before coming face to face with Dad. The rest of the team was moving around the locker room, doing anything to make it less awkward that my dad was about to rip me a new one in front of them.

“That last play was absolute shit, Jax! You pass like that and you should go play for some piece of shit unranked team. I’m not going to have that kind of mediocre bullshit on my field!

” Dad was really gearing up for a big fight.

His face went red and his eyes had a crazy gleam to them.

“That’s shameful! You have this position and you need to fucking respect it! Appreciate what-”

I couldn’t hear it. Not for another fucking second.

“You don’t want my mediocre bullshit on your field, bench me.

I don’t know what the fuck you’re problem is lately but I’m beating my own records right and left.

Get off my back, Coach, and you appreciate what you’ve fucking got.

I don’t know if you need to get laid or what, but you need to back off! ”

I stormed out before he could respond, the locker room as silent as a tomb.

I knew I’d crossed so many lines but I couldn’t care in that moment.

I just needed to get away. I was sick of Dad’s shit and I was sick of everything else in my life right then, too.

Arguing about who Savannah wanted more when she’d been sent to ruin our reputations, student government, classes, Blaire, Dad, all of it.

I just needed a fucking break from being Jax Carrington for a while.

I knew what I needed, where I needed to go.

For the first time ever I found myself heading to the dorm to find company to take with me.

It was stupid. I knew I was letting my dick make the call but I couldn’t help myself.

No matter what I said to myself I still found my feet taking me right to Savannah’s door.

I knocked harder than I meant to and when Savannah opened the door a few seconds later, looking panicked, I knew I needed to stop and take a breath. I couldn’t, though, not until I was away from campus.

“Jax? What’s wrong?”

“Do you want to go for a ride with me? I need to… I have to get off campus.”

Her eyes moved over my face and she was nodding before her lips moved again. “Um, yeah. Sure. Do I need-”

I gripped her elbow and tugged her into the hallway. “Now.”

She flashed me a concerned look and shrugged. “Sure. Let’s go.”